Objective: To establish the role played by spiritual churches in the observed increase rate of antenatal clinic default in Calabar, Nigeria.
Design: Cross sectional comparative study.
Setting: Calabar, an urban community, the capital of Cross River State in south-eastern part of Nigeria.
Subjects: Women who booked for antenatal care in the University of Calabar Teaching Hospital but delivered outside orthodox health facilities.
Results: A total of 44.3%, of our antenatal clinic defaulters delivered in spiritual churches. Fear of spiritual attack by wicked people and prophetic warning in church (48.3%) and high hospital bills (26.8%) were the major reasons for this act. Perineal tear, primary postpartum haemorrhage and prolonged labour were associated more with delivery in church than hospital delivery or home delivery or delivery by TBAs (p < 0.01). Birth asphyxia and birth trauma were also significantly higher in church than hospital and other unorthodox delivery centres (p < 0.01). All the maternal deaths occurred in church and perinatal mortality was higher in church than other delivery facilities.
Conclusion: The spiritual churches play a major role in the increasing rate of antenatal clinic default in Calabar. The pregnancy outcome in these spiritual churches is worse than when delivered in hospital, by TBAs or at home. Adequate health education; reduction in delivery fees in hospitals and general improvement in the socio-economic status of the populace may help reduce these high maternal and perinatal morbidity and mortality in the spiritual churches.